The first interview of Season 4 is with Emily Nelson, founder of The Flourish Collective. You’ll hear so much wisdom in Emily’s experiences with leadership, discernment and developing community.
Get to know Emily a bit through her bio:
Emily Nelson began her career as a teacher but is a lifelong learner at heart. In the late 80’s, Emily and her husband, Gregg, moved their family to help start a church where Emily was the Drama Director. She has been a planner and equipper in Women’s Ministries through Bible studies, retreats and special events. Seeing women grow into their leadership is so inspiring to Emily so she serves on the Leadership Team for LEAD BOLD, an organization guiding women into their full ministry potential. She currently is on the board for The Freedom Story, preventing trafficking of children in Thailand and on the Builder Team for New Story Charity, with the big audacious goal of ending homelessness worldwide. Advocating for the marginalized has been a thread woven through Emily’s life. With that thread in her heart, she created, in 2020, a racial justice giving collective of aspiring allies committed to Learn, Give and Live Out Justice with a group of like-minded, world-changing humans. Doing work, life and service in community is what fuels Emily.
After raising three sons, Emily finds joy in aweing over her two grandgirls. She is inspired by her flower garden, the Enneagram and loves to play Pickleball. Home is the San Francisco Bay Area.
In our conversation Emily shared so many nuggets of wisdom! During her time of quiet sitting in her red chair, Emily realized “in all my doing I don’t feel close to you God.” Emily shared “I never had the space to lean into the quiet relationship with God because I was always doing my checklists.” (does this resonate with you, my dear listener?)
Emily shared these two valuable tools for your tool kit:
- Develop a keen sense of observation of others–Be Curious
- Develop a keen sense of observation of yourself–know yourself (the Enneagram is a great tool for this!)
Emily’s definition of what Thriving means to her bears tweeting (if you do that kind of thing)
Thriving is living in the joy of how God’s made you.
Here are the ways to connect with Emily:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theflourishcollective.us/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFlourishCollective.us
Website: https://www.theflourishcollective.org/
